1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates, in general, to a grip enhancement member for a bat or baton and, particularly, to a molded handgrip member for a baseball or softball bat.
2. Description of the Related Art
Throughout the history of base and soft ball, there has existed the problem of maintaining a grip on the bat when the bat strikes the ball or when the batter has to move rapidly out of bodily contact with a wildly thrown ball. Gloves and pine tar have been used with some success and other grips attached to the handle of the bat have been tried.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,111,341 to J. A. Murphy on Sep. 22, 1914 for a Base Ball Bat shows a cord wrapped around the handle of a bat.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,031,161 to O. W. Hamel on Feb.18, 1936 for a Handgrip Member describes a series of peripheral, longitudinally-spaced, circular grooves in the handle portion of a bat. The diameter of the grooves vary along the longitudinal axis of the handle.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,104,876 to F. R. Salsinger on Sep. 24, 1963 for a Baseball Bat Comprising a Square Cross Sectional Striking Area describes a corrugated finger grip attached to the outside of and extending along the length of the handle.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,433,481 to R. J. Tanguay for Baseball Bat Wrappings shows a handle of a baseball bat having a first tape having adhesive on both sides wrapped around the handle, a sleeve of latex filled with walnut shell and cork grit adhered to one adhesive side of the first tape and a second tape with adhesive on one side wrapped around the sleeve and adhered to the sleeve.
The above patents have not addressed the actual gripping mechanics of the two-handed batter or a one-handed batter who has even a greater need for a firm grip on the bat. The present device provides a more positive grip for both one and two-handed batters.